a blog about Kilt and her kids plus Trouble our JRT mascot.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Trialing

I go out to the post with a winning attitude and try to team up with my dog. Who the judge is and what my score is has little effect on how I view my run. Many times I have felt that my score was too high. Not too often did I feel it was too low. :0) That makes me think I'm a harder judge on myself and my dog. I know when we have done well and I certainly know when we have done poorly. Sure, I like to come in to the placings, but personally, I'm not even interested in the score (other than to see where I stack up in a big competition in someone else's eyes) That may sound weird to those who are taking photos of score sheets, but that's how I view it.

Everyone says open is so different (harder) than pro-novice. I must be a bit odd, but I don't view open (now) as much different from pro-novice. Stretch the outrun and throw in a few sheds. It makes it more challenging, but not exactly harder. I waited way too long to put Jet in open. He was ready by 4 yrs. of age, but I didn't start him in open until he was 7 yrs. of age. Possibly, because I wasn't ready. Everyone kept telling me how much harder that class was.

Yoko is just starting to shed now. I don't have a time frame for her to trial in open. I know she can fetch sheep at any distance. And, she is a team player....way more biddable than her mother. So, most likely she will be ready to compete in open by the time she is 3 sometime next year. Right now we are concentrating on ranch work. I am so looking forward to fall/winter when we can go out to work in the desert. Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.

4 comments:

From my humble experience, broke nearly to death- ie takes commands every time, the first time AND loads of confidence are basically what the consideration for moving into Open should be. If you think you will keep 60%+ of you points when you walk off the field too is a good bar too.

No truer words.....

Me and Baxter Black

In deepest sympathy...

Me and Johnny McNally

Best Friends

Derek Fisher and Yoko

Yoko

Yo's sis, Flo

With GOOD friends...

Ewe'll never walk alone

May I offer you

a triple grande nonfat dog biscuit?

Sedona Hot Dogs

Yoko

May I get into the car?

Time to go to work

Snow dog

Kilt napping on Xena

Walk-Up Border Collies

I came up with the name "Walk-Up" because I live on a small mountain and it's a bit of a "walk-up" to get to our home. We live on 35acres backed by the Olympic hills to the south and the strait of JuanDe Fuca to the north.

Border Collies entered our lives 16 yrs. ago when I received Riorun Jet from Patrick Shannahan. Jet is my soul mate, a talented trick dog, master agility dog, and open sheepdog. He is intense when he is working and mellow when he is not. Jet has placed in USBCHA open competition only working sheep a couple of times a week. It can be done. Kilt came to us from Diana Gauthier (Keen-Eye stockdogs) in Canada. Kilt is a ton of fun and is all business about working livestock. She has placed in open competition and is getting better about teaming up with me. We won our first open class (2011) with a marked shed, pen, single this year. We have bred only one litter by Jet. I kept a pup, Walk-Up Yoko. She is extremely talented in agility and can hold her own on sheep, too. She qualified for the National Nursery finals and has placed well in pro-novice along with winning several open classes in her later years.

I now have Kilt's son by Applegate's Buzz. He is a nice working dog, too. He qualified for the Nursery Finals and has several open wins. I firmly believe one must keep an open mind in the training of dogs. I don't think there is any fool-proof method that works with all dogs.

Party on Garth

Who's drivng home?

About Me

I was a critical care RN MSN at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital and an adjunct clinical teacher for a local community college. I am retired now.
I'm always on the go....I'm afraid I might miss something. I have a deep love of animals, teaching, hiking, competition, photography, and traveling. I love laughing with good friends. I have the mindset that every day you get up is a good day worthy of celebrating. Don't sweat the small stuff :0)
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever." Gandhi
And, last but not least....
"This is for all the strong ladies, who have made it through so much in life: I'm compassionate because I have known suffering. I am wise because I've been foolish. I can laugh, because I have known sadness. I am alive, because I am a fighter. I will survive because I am strong."